234 [Assembly 



made fertile. It Is not to be wondered at that the British popula- 

 tion were strongly prejudiced in favor of this root and against in- 

 troducing new ones for field culture, even to a partial extent. 

 Similar prejudice exists in our country in favor of Indian corn. 

 It is grown in every section of our immense country and to such 

 an extent, that it exceeds in quantity all the other grains together 

 — no better bread than it makes for man, both healthy and nour* 

 ishing and u^ed in so many different ways — a large majority of 

 our population live upon it in part. As feed* for animals of every 

 elass it stands fir<5t-rate, its stalks, blades, husks, &c., if properly 

 managed are c^jn^idered equal to the best hay. 



The prejudices against root crops must be overcome gradually, 

 as they have been on the continent and especially in Great Britain, 

 If our farmers should be convinced in time from the experiments 

 made in difterent neighborhoods, under their eyes, that the roots 

 such as beets, carrots, parsnips, &c. are more profitable plants for 

 them to cultivate as field crops, than Indian corn, there will be 

 no difficulty in introducing them partially. Less corn will be 

 planted and more roots, as to our farmers giving up the former, 

 or even to any great extent, is out of the question ; they are too 

 fond of it as food for themselves, and they know too well from 

 long experience its value as feed for all their animals, from the 

 largest ox down to the smallest chicken. From the same cause 

 too, they can calculate with more certainty the hazards against 

 their raising a good crop of corn, with proper tillage. Carrots are 

 very fine for milch cows and horses, but I have never heard of 

 their being used to any extent to fatten animals on for the market. 

 Parsnips, it is said, are good for milch cows, and to fatten swine 

 on, but I doubt whether they are as good as Indian corn for the 

 last purpose. It has long been admitted by the best judges, that 

 Indian corn makes the firmest and sweetest pork, and fattens the 

 animal faster than any other material- The beet, I should say 

 is a more profitable root for our farmers to raise, than carrots or 

 parsnips ; they do not exhaust the soil so much, and, although 

 they require good tillage and high manuring a fair crop can be 

 raised at lass expense and labor, than either of the others. The 

 beet too can be used for a greater variety of purposes than carrots 



